The Darkest Knight
by Topaz Ingenious
Summary: A polymathic metahuman with the power of heightened hearing is out for vengeance on a murderer's trail for a heinous crime, and his actions demonstrate that of someone that isn't following the Batman's steps, nor tutelage. How will Gotham react to this new threat that was once their hero? May be rated M for future chapters.


As the killer ran, he splashed droplets of water from a puddle onto the pavement. He's in a rush. Too much of a rush. I can hear his breaths from here. I'm about five feet from him. Also, the sounds of the cars on the streets should've made it impossible. Guess you can say I have super hearing. he trips over a curb and a taxi car almost runs him over. Had he not been courteous, i'd have heard every bone break upon impact, and watch him foam at the mouth with blood. And I'll have had no way to interrogate him.

He manages to get back up and as he runs away from the streets, he turns back around and fires at the taxi driver, killing him there. But missing me as I hid behind the car. If only I were bullet-proof. The Kevlar would've acted as a shock absorbent layer to mask the pain, but only minorly. Better safe than sorry. When the bullets have stopped, the murderer shouts at me. "Why are you following me, huh? You're supposed to be in the shadows!"

_I'm not Batman._ I hear his breaths more distant, and he's killed two more drivers now. In the future, I should refine my skills if people are going to die every night because of me. Not so bad so far though. I get back on my trail and follow the sound of his panic. His confusion. The sound of him reloading his gun. Him swearing under his breath. The gun won't load and the swearing increases. I hide behind a wall and see him fire a practice shot into the air, complaining that he wishes guns weren't so loud because he may think I'm in the shadows somewhere. I could be right behind him and I could take him out. And he'd never know.

The worst part about all of this is that he's someone i knew. Someone to heart. It pains me knowing he's become this. Murdering ten people in two days. Three tonight. It's the only thing that'll keep me from delivering the beatdown he deserves. But maybe I'll make an exception.

I watch him hesitate and move closer into a dark corner, watching him sweat. The wind is awfully erratic tonight, and the shards from the broken cars sound as if they are flying around in the polluted, corrupted air and slamming against the buildings nearby. Papers flying by. My cape flowing in the wind. I can't mask that. He seems to have heard me and shouts for me to show myself. Or he's just afraid. He starts firing at a dark corner and it happens to be the one I'm at. The bullet knicks my left shoulder. Not that bad. But I can't allow another one.

"Ha! Found ya!"

I made a low grunting noise and the murderer chuckles. "Looks like you're just a Batman impersonator. I've heard about you,"

He readies his gun for another shot. "And I used to think you were something big."

I dodge the next bullet and throw my Batarang into his firing arm, dropping his gun and I ram him against a wall. I pick up his gun and point it at him. The force of the strike was enough to deliver some punishment, but that's not enough for me. He grimaces. His face heavy with disgust for what happened. What led him down this path. "What'd you want?!"

His voice more powerful than I remember it being. Usually quieter. Reformed. But now screams of a madman. "What've I ever done to you?"

To answer, I fire at the side of his cheek. Meaning to miss it. I grip the gun a little tighter. "Why'd you kill those people?" I shout.

His eyes look down to the Batarang next to his feet on the ground that was pushed out when I rammed him into the wall. I fire at his feet before he gets any ideas and repeat my question once more in a more aggravated tone. "What people? The drivers?"

"No. You know who."

His memory begins to resurface it seems. "Them? What's it to you?"

I fire at his shoulder and he shouts in pain. I move a little closer towards him and shout back at him. "You'll either bleed out internally or externally. Or I'll do whatever it takes to get my answers."

Even more fear floods his face now. "What the hell are you?"

"TALK!"

My adrenaline pumps and I'm breathing heavily. My teeth gritted. When he refuses to answer out of fear, I beat him across the temple with my gun, knocking him down and shout at him. "Damn it, I know you hear me! Answer me!"

"I'm not telling you crap!"

I put my foot on his chest, transferring my weight to his sternum. He groans in agony and screams at me through the pain. "They had it coming! They didn't do what I asked, so i wasted them."

"What. Happened?!"

I step on his sternum, convincing myself that I've shattered it. But he's still breathing. A trickle of blood comes out of his mouth from the shoulder wound and crushing his chest like i have. "You...you don't scare me!"

"Strong words from someone who's sweating buckets."

"Who...who are you?!"

To answer his question, I take off my mask.


End file.
